Circling cameras Marte They can capture more colors than our eyes can see, and thus reveal a surprising diversity of colors.
A new image of the Mawrth Vallis region, as seen from orbit Marte Reveals a world full of iron, magnesium and aluminum.
To the human eye, our planet’s neighbor looks like a red dot in the night sky. The surface of Mars is rich in iron oxides and minerals. A bicycle chain left outside for a while will rust, and the Martian soil and dust will rust and turn red.
Circling cameras Marte They can pick up more colors than our eyes can see. The CaSSIS (Color and Stereo Surface Imaging System) instrument aboard ESA’s ExoMars mission’s Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) reveals an astonishing diversity of colors.
This CaSSIS image reveals yellow layers of clay rich in iron and magnesium, covered by white and blue layers rich in aluminum. The area is covered with dark and heavily eroded strata.
The metallic colors of this vibrant landscape tell a story of mineralogical diversity that began about 3.6 billion years ago. The region lies south of the Bipolar Boundary, surrounded by a ridge Marte and marks the point where the southern highlands meet the northern lowlands.
Geography is complex
Mawrth Vallis continues to intrigue scientists with its geological complexity. Liquid water once passed through this area, which was listed as one of the most promising landing sites for the ExoMars rover Rosalind Franklin. Another area, Oxia Planum, was chosen as the location to search for signs of Rosalind Franklin’s life.
Meanwhile, TGO continues to collect information from orbit Marte To understand its ancient past and its possible habitat. The full scientific mission of TGO began in 2018. The spacecraft will not only send back spectacular images, but will also provide an excellent catalog of the planet’s atmospheric gases and map the planet’s surface in search of water-rich areas, ESA reports.
For six years, Cassis has been watching Marte In stunning color, it captures features ranging from volcanic landscapes to active dust devils and gigantic sand dunes.
(with information from Europa Press)
